


Flare

by digitaldreams



Series: Digital's Ikesoren Week Drabbles [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, IkeSoren Week, IkeSoren Week 2021, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, except for once again he is alive, not beta read we die like greil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28663974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaldreams/pseuds/digitaldreams
Summary: Ike wanted to know Soren, but yearning and execution are two entirely different things.
Relationships: Ike/Senerio | Soren
Series: Digital's Ikesoren Week Drabbles [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093163
Kudos: 16
Collections: IkeSoren Week 2021





	Flare

High school was difficult. 

Ike had come to terms with this fact on the first day of his freshman year, and he remembered coming home with a heavy sigh on his lips before he dramatically collapsed onto the couch with his eyes slipping to half-mast. His parents and Mist had both poked fun at him for it, but they ultimately understood the difficulties that came with school, and it became almost a running joke within the family to reference its challenges. 

It seemed like each new situation brought with it a new set of complications. Ike wasn’t in classes with any of his friends, and the separation from Boyd, Mia, Ranulf, and Rhys frustrated him from the first day. To compensate, Ike, never one to remain stagnant, turned his attention to making others into his companions. 

This was how he had first crossed paths with Soren, a quiet and stoic young man who Ike had in his literature class. Soren rarely spoke with anyone, but all it took was one paired project between the two for a connection to be fostered. Soon enough, they were as good as inseparable, and Ike’s loneliness was a thing of the past. 

Getting to know Soren was far easier said than done. He was distant and tended to keep to himself, and Ike’s attempts to get closer to him were often met with resistance. They had made the first few steps towards bridging the gap, but there was still a long way for them to go, and that much was blatantly clear to Ike. 

Late some nights, Ike stared at the ceiling and wondered what it was that he was doing wrong. He didn’t think that he was bothering Soren, but something about the other boy still seemed detached, almost as if he was too afraid to reach out no matter how kind Ike was. It was unsettling, and Ike wanted answers. 

Unfortunately, the explanation that Ike wanted came far sooner than he anticipated. He could still remember it clearly. They had been sitting together in class, getting ready for their final period of the day to start, when Ike noticed that something was wrong. Soren, regularly so attentive and sharp, seemed distracted by something. Ike had asked what was going on, and Soren had hurriedly buried his wrist beneath the palm of his other hand, readily ignoring the question. When class began, Soren was careful to not glance over in Ike’s direction and risk drawing unnecessary attention to himself. 

This became a long-running game for them both. No matter how many times Ike tried to reach out, Soren always found a way to resist. It was nerve-wracking, understanding that something was wrong but not knowing exactly what it was. 

High school was difficult. 

Soren didn’t show up for class one day, and Ike found himself fishing his phone out of his pocket to send a text asking why. Soren never responded. Ike’s phone felt as heavy as lead in his pocket, and its stubborn refusal to offer answers left him sick to his stomach. 

The trek back home after school had seemed particularly long. Ike scuffed his shoe through a puddle as rain continued to pour around him. He had left the umbrella for Mist, and both of his parents were at work and unable to pick him up. Oh well. The only true downside was that it left Ike alone with his thoughts, and that was the last thing he wanted given how anxious he was about Soren’s sudden absence from class. 

Ike sat down on the couch and turned on his phone again. No reply. He let out a heavy sigh and let his head slip backwards until it was resting on the backrest of the couch. He needed to distract himself so that he stopped thinking about it. After all, there probably wasn’t anything wrong. Soren detested idle chatter and had made as much clear ages ago. Maybe other obligations simply kept him too busy to answer. There had to be a logical explanation. 

When the doorbell rang, Ike nearly jumped out of his skin. He left his phone on the couch and shuffled away to the entryway of his house before twisting the knob and opening the door. He didn’t know what he expected, but what he got was far worse than what he could have ever anticipated. 

Much to Ike’s surprise, Soren was the one standing before him. Everything about Soren appeared different from usual though, almost as if he was falling apart at the seams. Soren, regularly so composed and stoic, was suddenly honest and barren, a hollow shell of his former self. It was completely terrifying to Ike, and he didn’t hesitate to bring Soren inside to figure everything out. 

In the beginning, Soren hadn’t wanted to answer any of Ike’s inquiries. He had dodged questions and stared at the floor, unwilling to say anything beyond what was necessary. Ike found his stubbornness strange, and he reached a hand out to touch his friend’s shoulder. 

Ike didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late. Soren hissed in pain, and Ike’s stomach twisted into a knot before dropping through the floor. He watched as Soren pulled away, and the air seemed to grow heavier than ever before. 

The explanation couldn’t be avoided. It all came out in a single burst, a thread of words and phrases that barely seemed to come together cohesively in Ike’s mind. All that he managed to put together was that Soren had needed to get away from his father. Soren hadn’t ever spoken of his home life before, and the sudden influx of information made Ike feel awful all over again. Suddenly, the way that Soren hid himself in giant hoodies made sense. 

As Ike wrapped his arms around Soren’s body, he found his thoughts drifting. Soren didn’t protest the action, and he allowed Ike to pull him in closer. Neither one of them said anything for a long time, and the silence was almost stifling. Ike’s mind began to race in the space between, and he wished that there was more that he could do. 

For that moment though, nothing mattered aside from the fact that they were together. Soren’s breathing slowly evened out to a predictable pattern of inhales and exhales, and when Ike glanced down, he saw that the other boy had fallen asleep. Ike smiled to himself, and something protective stirred at his core. He wanted this moment to last forever. 

High school was difficult for Ike, but it only seemed to get worse for Soren. 

All Ike could do was make sure that one day, Soren would be safe. He would find a way no matter what, goddess above be damned. It was what they both deserved. 

**Author's Note:**

> I had to indulge myself in the angst. It was only a matter of time. 
> 
> I really do like the idea of a modern AU like this, so I might have to revisit this idea in the future when I'm not quite so pressed for time. For now, take my lovely drabble of the day. I gave my angst the chance to run free here, so that's fun. Ashnard sucks, and I will beat him up. 
> 
> Here's a little fun thing I came up with in this AU for Ike's friend group: the majority of the mercenaries (Oscar, Shinon, and Gatrie, for example) are older, so Ike is the same age as Boyd, Mia, and Rhys among them along with Ranulf. As for how this ragtag group came together, Ike was childhood friends with Ranulf. He met Boyd and Mia during his first year of school, and when Rhys moved to town, he and Mia became friends. Nobody saw it coming because of how different they are, but it happened that way. This is the random stuff that I think about when I'm writing. Oops?
> 
> Naming fact of the day: "Flare" is the mastery skill for sages. In this case, it's meant to be related to a signal for help or a warning, specifically about Ashnard being the worst. If anybody is wondering about Almedha and the dragons in this AU, they're not heavily involved in Soren's life and haven't been since Ashnard and Almedha divorced when Soren was young. Once again, this is the stuff I think about when I'm writing. Oops x2. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I'll see you tomorrow for the final piece of the week!
> 
> -Digital


End file.
